Drinking Water Notice – LSLI (Lead Service Line Inventory)

News by Melissa Locke

­­­During the Initial Service Line Inventory that was completed on October 16, 2024, Kittery Water District found and classified service lines within our water distribution system as either:

    • Non-Lead
    • Lead
    • Galvanized Requiring Replacement (GRR)
    • Unknown Lead Status (material of line not known)

KWD will continue investigating service line materials until all lines have been categorized with the proper material classification.

Click HERE for the Public Notice Posted in the Town Halls for Kittery, Eliot and York customers that summarizes what materials were found in the distribution system.

Individual notices have been sent out to all customers for their review.  If you have any questions, please contact us for more information.

Examples of what you are looking for on your mailed letter is below:

1)  Non-Lead System: No Follow up with the office needed.

A:  Non-Lead – Plastic // B: Non-Lead – Copper // C: Overall your system is Non-Lead

2) Unknown System: Please call the office to set up an appointment time for a service man to come out and verify the service material.

A:  Non-Lead – Copper // B: Unknown – Material Unknown // C: Overall your system is Unknown

As of November 15, 2024 this is the Lead Service Line Inventory Results that we have for our service area (Below):

For additional information an article from MSN covers a lot of questions you may have:

Click HERE for MSN article (Full article below but additional video is available on website link:

Here’s why you might get a letter warning about potential lead water pipes

Recently, many Wisconsin residents ― like people throughout the country ― have received letters warning of possible lead or unknown material in their water service pipes.

The letters were sent as part of a new rule from the Environmental Protection Agency requiring lead pipes nationwide to be replaced within 10 years. There are an estimated 9.2 million lead water lines throughout the nation, according to the EPA. In 2021, the Biden administration allocated $15 billion to help fund their replacement. As part of the new regulation, the EPA made municipalities conduct an initial inventory of their water service lines by Oct. 16 and report that information to their state. Now, they must notify their customers of known or potential lines containing lead or unknown material within 30 days of completion of the initial inventory.

Here’s what to know about the notification letters:

Why did I get a letter about my water service line?

It’s because you may have a known or potential service line containing lead, galvanized lines requiring replacement or an unknown material.

The EPA is also making local governments notify residents annually, beginning July 1, “until the entire service connection is no longer lead, galvanized requiring replacement, or unknown.”

Related Video: School water PFAS problem clarifies under new law (WBAL TV Baltimore)

What is my water service line?

It’s the water pipe that connects the water main in the street to your property. Modern water mains aren’t made of lead, but some service lines are, often those installed before about 1950.

The water utility owns the portion of the service line from the water main to the curb stop. The property owner owns the section of the line from the curb stop to the water meter.

President Joe Biden makes remarks at the Department of Public Works Field Headquarters on Tuesday October 8, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wis.

Does the letter mean I have lead pipes?

No, receiving a letter doesn’t necessarily mean you have lead pipes or lead in your drinking water. It means it’s possible. The EPA required people to be notified of known or potential service lines containing lead, galvanized lines requiring replacement or unknown lines.

Why are lead pipes a problem?

The EPA has set the maximum contaminant level goal for lead in drinking water at zero because lead is a toxic metal that can be harmful to human health, even at low exposure levels. Lead can bioaccumulate in the body over time.

Young children, infants and fetuses are particularly vulnerable to the effects of lead because a smaller quantity is needed to affect them. A dose of lead that would have little effect on an adult can significantly affect a child, the EPA says.

Can I check if my water service line has lead or if my drinking water has lead?

The EPA provides this information to help you determine if you have a lead water service line or to find out how to test your drinking water.

What are galvanized service lines and why are they a source of lead in drinking water?

Galvanized pipes are iron or steel pipes that have been dipped in a zinc coating to prevent corrosion and rust. There are also lead-line galvanized pipes, which are further discussed in sections below. Galvanized pipes have been used since the late 1800s and were commonly used in homes built in the 1950s and 1960s. The lead levels found in the zinc coating of galvanized iron or steel pipes prior to 2014 were in the range of 0.5% and 2%. The Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act, passed in 2011 but effective in January 2014, lowered the maximum lead content of the “wetted surfaces of plumbing products,” which included galvanized pipes, to a weighted average of 0.25%.

GSLs can serve as a source of lead exposure in two key ways:

  1. By capturing lead released from upstream lead sources (e.g. lead service lines or lead connectors), which can later be released over time as the result of pipe disturbances or changes in the water chemistry; and

  2. By corrosion and leaching into drinking water from the lead that is found in the zinc coating of galvanized pipes or in the lead lining of lead-lined galvanized pipes.

To understand the level of exposure related to upstream lead sources, water utilities need a deeper understanding of the entire service line between the water main and customer home (including connectors) rather than just determining the privately-owned service line material in the household connection. Finding this information can be difficult due to a lack of adequate and historic recordkeeping. Making things more complicated, even if a lead source was removed upstream in the past, the risk in the downstream galvanized line can remain.

Lead exposure through corrosion and leaching is managed by water utilities through corrosion control treatment (CCT) mandated in the 1991 Lead and Copper Rule, but still can pose a risk if the CCT is not managed correctly or if the water chemistry changes. The latter was the cause of the Flint, MI lead contamination crisis in 2014 when the city changed its water source without implementing CCT. It should be noted that utilities who have managed continuous and effective CCT practices over time may have also maintained better GSL pipe condition overall. However, even with CCT, the risk always remains and is only completely removed when these pipes are replaced.

From a performance standpoint, GSLs also have the potential for higher levels of corrosion and rusting than other modern service line materials. In our discussion with 26 utilities from 16 states, many mentioned GSLs as a common culprit of service line water leaks. As a result, utilities (or homeowners) in many states are actively replacing galvanized lines to address service line water loss. From a water quality perspective, galvanized pipes can also perform poorly with regard to biofilm formation, and therefore, arguably present a higher potential for Legionella. Even without mandates around replacing galvanized service lines, the justifications for doing so start to build.